Best Equestrian Camping near Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Summer time might not be the best time to try to camp in southern Nevada but with mild fall and winter this campsite leaves a lot of options for those looking for an outdoor adventure.

I spent much of early spring at Red Rock enjoying the facilities, the hiking, the vistas and yes the camping. This campground does accept reservations for group sites however individual sites are walk up first come first serve and with those mild weekends they do fill up quickly. Weekdays are suggested if you can make it out as it is a bit easier to get a site during those days.

One thing most do not consider with camping at this location is the proximity to the Las Vegas strip and all the tourists which that includes. This campsite is coveted and many who wish to venture beyond the brights lights find themselves at this nationally acclaimed facility.

A few things to also consider before traveling here:

1- No cell servIce at the campground for any provIder, fact is unless you hike to the peaks you wIll not fInd any cell service for miles.

2- Campground sometimes appears full when in fact people are parking here instead of camping so do not get turned away without a quick once through the campground itself.

3- No hookups for electrIcal or water at individual sItes. If you must have power you will want to consider alternative sources.

RV campers as well as tent campers are able to stay at thIs locatIon however It does sway a bIt more toward tent campIng In way of spacing and availabilIty.

Cost to camp are $15 for single tent campers like myself. ThIs Includes a pIcnIc table and awning but more Importantly proximity to the park itself. Most don’t inquire about stay length but for a blogger lIke myself I had to know and elected to ask, because who wouldnt want the best vIews In the area as long as possIble! 14 days!!

I was looking for a remote Cove to set up for a couple nights on Lake Mead and found this little gem off the beaten path but still accessible on a rugged and steeply graded access road. There is a sign at the entrance of Mead-Davis Powerline Rd road that says 4x4 recommended... Take this to heart.

(We came down from north of the cove off of Princess Cove Rd. There is also access from the south off of the same Princess Cove Rd. We didn't see that route driving in at night... Probably try that next time.)

This Cove is sheltered from wind by trees and tall grass. A small peninsula also blocks direct site from the water so this is a very private site.

The water is the clearest I've ever seen and the water fowl dive freely along the banks. There is a treasure trove of wildlife here apparent just from the birds singing. It was a cacophony of songbirds just before the sun went down over the mountains over the water to the west, Nevada's coastline to the Colorado River fed Lake. There are also Gila monsters, tortoise, mules and many more creatures that come visit the water-side.

It was refreshing rinsing off in the crisp, clear water! Bring water shoes as most of the coastline is rocky. 

Do not leave food out and also there are no glass containers allowed at this location! Respect your wildlife community and those enforcing the sustainable practices. Shout out to the upstanding rangers working this area! Thanks for watching over us and the respectful reminders.

Fell in love with this campground! Needed a quick stop & safe place to sleep on my way to grand canyon I was so sweetly surprised! Wasn't expecting much, there weren't any reviews. This campground was just taken over... by a kind family who now owns and operates the business with their children... I was greeted by "the boss" little miss scarlett who gave me a tour, fun facts, and cupcakes she had baked. The LOVE creativity and passion the owners have, for this work in progress campground is apparent. Seems like they are working their butts off to provide amazing experiences for their guest... like wild horses and glamping! I rarely write reviews but felt it so important and wanted their hard work to not go unnoticed.  I can't wait to revisit on my next road trip in Arizona!

Great campground really close to Vegas (at night you can see that light beam from the Luxor). It appears that they keep adding more awnings over the picnic tables, and there are nice little benches around the fire rings. No showers, but nice bathrooms and you can get cell service (if that is important to you). There's also a nice grocery store close by. If you are coming to Red Rock to climb, you will have plenty of friends here. There are a couple of nice trails through the dessert, and there are supposed to be big horn sheep but I didn't see any.

This campground is an easy few miles outside of the suburbs of Las Vegas. So easy in fact, I needed cell service and was able to drive five minutes to an Albertson’s grocery store parking lot to make a phone call and use the internet browser on my iPhone. As a local I was opposed to this new construction so close to Red Rock for this reason. The park doesn’t feel like a getaway as much as other parks.

The campground is closed during the summer months when it reaches 100 degrees Fahrenheit by 7 AM. We camped in January and it reached the low 60s in the day and dipped to the 30s with rain at night. Spring or fall weather is much better fro tent camping. We were comfortable in an RV.

Most sites had steel roofed canopies and all had a fire ring and grill. The driving paths are pea gravel and the roads are gravel and desert dirt. They are well maintained and a few years ago benches and railroad timber barriers were installed. Bathrooms were very clean with a bunch of sanitizer and toilet paper. Drinking water spigots were also clean and had good water pressure. No hookups are available for RVs.

Overall, this campground earned 4 stars because the views weren’t as impressive as the actual park. The park is a very short drive down the road but waking up with beautiful views is something I look for. And the proximity to the city didn’t offer the feeling of isolation I like in a camping trip. It was convenient but the city lights could be seen glowing over the hill and the sky wasn’t as dark for stargazing as I prefer on a camping trip.

If going here, the park is a world class rock climbing destination and bike riding or driving driving the scenic loop are my recommended activities.